Rod joint or coupling



p l953 R. w. WEEKS 2 2,652,274

ROD JOINT OR COUPLING F118;! Oct. 12, 1949 276 2&

7 a INVENTOR.

Robert 144 Weeks BY Jr 61% 05, M

Patented Sept. 15, 1953 ROD JOINT OR GOUPLING Robert W- Weeks Wes es e Pa, ass zn r to Wind Turbine Comp n a corporation of Penn? sylvania Application October 12, 1949, Serial No. 120,925

4 Claims. 1

a This invention relates to a coupling device for use in joining two sections of rod. The coupling is particularly useful for equipment that must be easilyassembled or disassembled, such as portable towers.

. A primary object of the invention is to provide a coupling which may be assembled or disassembled without the useof tools of any kind.

Another object is to provide a coupling which securely locks the rod sections together and provides a high degree of rigidity in the completed joint.

Another object is to provide a coupling that may be easily assembled or disassembled under adverse conditions such as severe cold.

Still another object is to provide a coupling of extremely simple and rugged construction that is Well adapted to economical manufacture.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a preferred form of the invention in which:

Fi ure l is a side elevational view of the coupling in the unlocked position and with the rod about to be inserted therein;

Figure 2 is a side view of Figure 1 showing the coupling in locked position;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of Figure 2 taken along the line 3-3 but showing the rod sections in elevation; and

Figure 4 is a plan view of the Referring to the drawing, having the coupling fixed to H is the rod section which ID by means of the coupling.

In the form illustrated in the drawing the coupling comprises four parts, two clamping jaws or which are securely fastened by completed joint.

one end thereof, and is to be joined to rod clamping plates, the illustrated form screw 26 has thread while screw 2! has a in jaw 22 being tapped with a right-hand thread. The distance between the circumferences of these holes is somewhat less than the diameter of the rod II and they are positioned on opposite sides of the center line of rod Ill.

Each of the clamping jaws '2! and 22 has a V- shaped groove 28 formed on the inside face there- I is a section of rod of and extendin between t e h les form d therein. These plates are welded to the rod 10 with h end por io o he rod in he channel tamed by thegroov .28 and with he screw ho es i alignment. The rod 0 fi s y th lower half .of the channel formed by grooves .28, the upper ha f-porti n f c a ping es 2| nd .22 ei g sup orted in spa ed la ion. as shown in Figu e s tha t e up er part of e channel forms a socket for receiving the lower end of rod section II.

C amp s re s 25 nd Z l rg shou rs flan e are provided with 25a and 21a which seat fis net the out r ates o plates 22 an 21 esp i y, an th e screws a al o provid d w t and e po t ons 2 a 27!; attached to th shoulders and ex ndi a r s t n 'es to the screws.

T e s ws .25 and 2. re pr v ded on heir hank portions with two flat faces 26p and 210 arranged in su a p s ion hat when he handle portions are turned to n upwa dly o nt n P sition se Figur 1) he ro may be ns t d in the channel formed by the grooves 28 and abutted with the end of rod it without interference from screws '26 and 21. Rounded notches Ha and lib are formed on opposite sides of rod II and in a position to receive the un-notched shank portions of clamping screws 26 and 21. Thus by turning the screw handles through an arc of approximately the rod II is locked within the coupling and is held against axial movement.

Simultaneously with the rotation of the screw handles from the upwardly pointing direction to the downwardly pointing (or looking) position, the threads of the screws draw the shoulders 26a and 21a against the outer faces of plates 22 and 2|, thus drawing these plates together and firmly clamping rod H between them. This clamping action produces a joint having a high degree of rigidity.

It is obvious that the coupling just described is not the only form that the invention may take. Instead of forming the support plates as two separate of on opposite sides. These and other modifications within the scope of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. A rod joint comprising one rod having notches formed therein on opposite sides thereof adjacent one end thereof, a second rod, two clamping plates each having a V-notch in one face thereof, said plates being attached to said second rod with said V-notches forming a recess for said first rod, and two clamping screws each having a flat face formed in the shank portion thereof and an enlarged shoulder on the opposite side of said flat face from the threaded end portion, each clamping screw being freely rotatably disposed through a hole in one clamping plate and having threaded engagement with the opposite clamping plate so that said first rod may be inserted in said recess and pass between said screws when said flat faces are facing each other, and said screws being arranged so that said notches will be engaged by said shank portions and said clamping plates will be forced together by said shoulders when said clamping screws are rotated.

2. A rod joint according to claim 1 wherein one of said screws is provided with a right-hand thread and the other with a left-hand thread.

3. A rod joint comprising a first rod having a notch formed in the side thereof adjacent one endpa second rod, a split clamping member mounted on one end of said second rod and having a socket for receiving said first rod, and a clamping screw threaded transversely of said clampin member, said screw being freely rotatable through one of the halves of said clamping member and having threaded engagement with the other half thereof, and having a recess formed in one side of its shank to allow th insertion of said first rod into said socket, said screw having an enlarged shoulder for engaging said one half of said clamping member to draw the halves of th split clamping member into tight engagement with said first rod, said recess being formed on' said screw at a point such that itispositioned outside of said socket when the halves of said clamping member are in tight engagement with said first rod.

4. A rod joint comprising two rod sections ar ranged in vertical alignment, the upper rod section having notches formed therein on opposite sides thereof adjacent its lower end, a coupling member secured to th upper end of the lower rod section and having a split socket for receiving the lower end of the upper rod section, two clamping screws each having a threaded end portion and an enlarged shoulder spaced from said threaded portion, each screw having a flat face formed on one sid thereof between said threaded portion and said shoulder, each screw having a handle portion on the opposite side of said shoulder and extending at right angles to the axis of the threaded portion and parallel with said flat face, each clamping screw being freely rotatably disposed through a hole in one part of said split socket member and having threaded engagement with the opposite part of said socket member, said screws being arranged so that when said handle portions extend vertically upward, said flat face portions face towards said socket to permit insertion of the upper rod section into said socket, and said screws bee ing operative upon moving said handle portions to a downward extending position to interlock the shank portions of said screws with the notches in the upper rod section and the parts of said split coupling member are clamped into tight engagement with said upper rod section.

' ROBERT W. WEEKS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Date 

